Hideaway [Completed]

Chapter 8

Nagising si Katrina sa sobrang liwanag mula sa bintana niya. But she clearly remembered that she shut all her blinds last night. Unti-unti siyang nagmulat at kinusot-kusot ang mata.

True enough, umaga na at bukas ang blinds niya.

But what surprised her was the man sitting down at the edge of her bed staring down at her.

She immediately sat up and covered herself dahil naka shirt lamang siya at wala pang bra at shorts. Wala pa rin kasi siyang damit kaya kung ano na lang makuha niya sa closet nito. "A-Anong ginagawa mo dito?"

"You don't need to cover yourself," seryosong wika nito na parang nainis nang makitang nagtakip siya ng dibdib. "It's not as if we haven't had sex yet, right?"

She just bit her lip, not knowing how to respond. Naalala kaya nito ang mga sinabi nito sa kanya kagabi?

"Anong problema mo? Parang takot na takot ka?" takang-takang tanong ni Aspen.

Umiling siya. "W-wala... Ano bang kailangan mo?"

"It's nine in the morning at wala pa tayong breakfast. Won't you cook for me?" tanong nito.

Naguluhan siya. Hinintay pa siya nitong magising para lamang makakain. Hindi pa ito marunong magluto?

"S-Sige, mauna ka nang lumabas. Magbibihis lang ako," she said.

"But I'm hungry. Uunahin mo pa bang magbihis?" inis na tanong nito as he stood up.

"Fine!" she said and sighed. Wala naman sigurong mawawala kung maglakad siya ng naka-tshirt at panty lamang ngayon. He's seen it all anyway. Ano pa bang ikakahiya niya?

Tumayo siya at nauna ng lumabas ng kwarto at bumaba ng kitchen. But she can feel him just right behind her. Binuksan niya ang ref at naglabas ng bacon at ilang eggs mula roon while he sat down on a chair and just observed her.

"Okay na ba to sayo?" she inquired as she grabbed a pan and opened the electric stove.

"Yup," tipid na sagot nito sa likuran niya.

"Okay," she answered back and started cooking. Inilagay niya ang bacon sa pan at sinimulang lutuin iyon.

"I've set an appointment on Tues with your ob-gyne. Pumasok ka sa school mo ng Lunes para magfile ng LOA for the entire duration of the sem," utos nito.

"Sige," tipid na sagot niya. Hindi niya alam kung anong mararamdaman. Matapos ng mga sinabi nito kagabi sa kanya, it's as if nakalimutan nito lahat iyon at back to regular programming sila. "P-Paano pala ang pamilya mo kapag nalaman nila?"

"They can't know. I've talked to Miguel and Gio. They know now and they vowed to never tell a soul," pag amin ni Aspen.

Napaharap bigla si Katina sa sinabi nito. "A-Anong sabi nila?"

He just shrugged. "They'll support me. We're friends at the end of the day. Nang malaman nilang maaaring anak ko ang dinadala mo, naintindihan nila kung bakit kailangang dito ka muna tumira."

"And Dahlia?" she asked.

"She can't know... not yet." He stood up at itinuro ang niluluto niya. "Baka masunog mo ang bacon ko." He went near her at binantayan na rin ang niluluto niya.

Katrina paid attention to the pan again and stopped asking questions. Hindi niya alam pero may konting selos siyang nararamdaman sa babaeng yon. Pangalan pa lang nito, pakiramdam niya wala na siyang panama. Napakaganda siguro nito.

"You're absent-minded. Nasusunog na oh!" puna ni Aspen habang nakatayo pa rin sa tabi niya.

"Sorry," she said at binaliktad ang mga bacon strips sa pan.